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Reading the 'Nunchi': 분위기 파악하기

Agent Progress
Built
Keywords
눈치
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Advanced Speaking
✅
TL;DR
  • 눈치 is the Korean ability to read unspoken social cues and atmosphere.
  • 눈치가 빠르다 means you read the room fast; 눈치가 없다 means you can't.
  • 눈치채다 = to notice/catch on; 눈치를 주다 = to hint without words.
  • 눈치껏 means acting correctly by reading the situation without being told.
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🎧 Helper Note
눈치 is not just a word — it's a social skill Koreans grow up with. When someone says 눈치가 없어요, it's a serious social critique, not just a small comment. Practice describing situations where 눈치 was missing or spot-on.

🔑 The Big Picture

눈치 (Nunchi) is one of the most culturally embedded concepts in Korean social life. It refers to the ability to sense, read, and respond to unspoken emotional and situational cues. It is not taught explicitly — Koreans are expected to develop it.
At the advanced level, you are not just learning the word 눈치. You are learning how to describe it, evaluate it in others, and use it naturally in real conversation.
Core idea:
  • 눈치 있다 → you can read the room
  • 눈치 없다 → you can't, and people notice
  • 눈치를 보다 → you are actively watching for cues before acting
  • 눈치채다 → you caught on to something unspoken
  • 눈치를 주다 → you sent a subtle signal to someone else
Related concept: 분위기 파악 (atmosphere reading) — reading the overall mood of a space, group, or moment.

🧩 Core Concepts / Patterns

1. 눈치가 있다 / 없다 / 빠르다 / 느리다

These four expressions describe a person's 눈치 ability.
  • 그 사람은 눈치가 정말 빨라요.
    • That person is very quick at reading the room.
  • 눈치가 없어서 분위기를 망쳤어요.
    • Because they had no 눈치, they ruined the atmosphere.
  • 눈치가 좀 느린 편이에요.
    • They tend to be a bit slow at reading the room.
  • 눈치가 있으면 그 상황에서 말을 안 했을 거예요.
    • If they had 눈치, they wouldn't have spoken in that situation.

2. 눈치를 보다

눈치를 보다 means to watch and gauge others' reactions before deciding what to do. It often implies caution or hesitation.
  • 눈치를 보느라고 말을 못 했어요.
    • I was so busy gauging reactions that I couldn't speak.
  • 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 봐요.
    • He always worries about what others think.
  • 눈치 보지 말고 솔직하게 말해요.
    • Don't worry about reactions — just say it honestly.

3. 눈치채다

눈치채다 = to notice something that wasn't said outright. It's the moment of catching on.
  • 제가 화난 걸 눈치챘어요?
    • Did you notice I was upset?
  • 그 분이 자리를 피하고 싶다는 걸 눈치챘어요.
    • I caught on that that person wanted to leave.
  • 아무도 눈치채지 못했어요.
    • No one caught on.

4. 눈치를 주다

눈치를 주다 = to signal someone non-verbally — with a look, gesture, or tone — that they should stop, leave, or change behavior.
  • 눈치를 줬는데 계속 얘기했어요.
    • I gave a signal, but they kept talking.
  • 눈빛으로 눈치를 줬어요.
    • I gave the signal with my eyes.
  • 그 사람이 눈치를 못 받은 것 같아요.
    • It seems like they didn't pick up on the signal.

5. 눈치껏 행동하다

눈치껏 is an adverb meaning 'by reading the situation' — doing the right thing without being told.
  • 눈치껏 자리를 비워 줬어요.
    • They read the situation and tactfully stepped away.
  • 눈치껏 알아서 해요.
    • Figure it out by reading the situation.
  • 모르면 눈치껏 따라가면 돼요.
    • If you don't know, just follow along by reading the vibe.

6. 분위기 파악 Vocabulary

Key words for describing atmosphere:
  • 분위기가 싸늘해지다 — the atmosphere turns cold
  • 분위기가 무거워지다 — the atmosphere becomes heavy
  • 분위기가 어색해지다 — the atmosphere becomes awkward
  • 공기가 달라지다 — the feeling in the air changes
  • 분위기를 띄우다 — to liven up the mood
  • 분위기를 깨다 — to kill the vibe
  • 분위기에 맞게 행동하다 — to act appropriately to the mood

✅ Exam Strategy

At the advanced level, 눈치 questions test your ability to:
  1. Identify what cue was missed or caught in a situation
  2. Choose the correct form: 눈치를 보다 vs. 눈치채다 vs. 눈치를 주다
  3. Describe social situations using 분위기 vocabulary
Key contrasts:
  • 눈치를 보다 = cautiously monitoring others (hesitant, internal)
  • 눈치를 주다 = sending a signal to someone else (outward)
  • 눈치채다 = you noticed something (result of perception)
  • 눈치껏 행동하다 = acting correctly based on reading (good 눈치 in action)

⚠️ Pitfalls

  • Confusing 눈치를 보다 (I watch others) with 눈치를 주다 (I signal others) — they go in opposite directions
  • Using 눈치채다 for physical noticing — it is for social and emotional perception only
  • Saying 눈치가 빠르다 when you mean someone is generally fast — it refers specifically to social reading speed
  • 눈치껏 is not automatic — it means choosing to act based on what you read
  • 분위기를 깨다 is strong — use it only when the mood was genuinely disrupted
  • In casual modern speech, 센스 있다 is often used the same way as 눈치가 있다

🗣️ Natural Dialogue Patterns

Pattern A: Evaluating someone's 눈치

A: 오늘 회의 분위기 어땠어요?
B: 좀 무거웠어요. 근데 이 대리가 눈치도 없이 계속 농담을 했어요.
A: 진짜요? 분위기 파악을 못 한 거네요.
B: 네, 팀장님 표정이 싸늘해졌는데도 몰랐어요.

Pattern B: Using 눈치를 주다

A: 그 손님이 계속 자리에 있었어요?
B: 네, 제가 눈치를 줬는데도 못 받은 것 같아요.
A: 어떻게요?
B: 시계를 보면서 "많이 늦었네요" 했는데... 그냥 앉아 있었어요.

Pattern C: 눈치채다 in conversation

A: 어제 제가 기분 안 좋은 거 알았어요?
B: 네, 눈치챘어요. 말투가 좀 달랐거든요.
A: 아, 그랬어요? 티가 많이 났나요?
B: 말은 안 했는데 표정이랑 눈빛에서 느껴졌어요.

Pattern D: 눈치껏 — a positive example

A: 어떻게 거기 자리를 피해 줬어요? 아무 말도 안 했는데.
B: 두 분이 할 말이 있는 것 같아서 눈치껏 나왔어요.
A: 정말 센스 있다. 감사해요.
B: 괜찮아요. 분위기 보면 알 수 있었어요.

🧠 Nuance Bank

Expression
Meaning
Example
눈치가 빠르다
quick at reading the room
그 사람은 눈치가 정말 빨라요.
눈치가 없다
lacks social awareness
눈치가 없어서 분위기를 망쳤어요.
눈치를 보다
gauging others' reactions cautiously
눈치 보지 말고 말해요.
눈치채다
to notice/catch on to something unspoken
제가 화난 걸 눈치챘어요?
눈치를 주다
to send a non-verbal signal
눈빛으로 눈치를 줬어요.
눈치껏
acting correctly by reading the situation
눈치껏 자리를 비워 줬어요.
분위기를 깨다
to kill the vibe / break the mood
그 말 한 마디가 분위기를 깼어요.
분위기가 싸늘해지다
the atmosphere turns cold
그 말 이후로 분위기가 싸늘해졌어요.

Try this exercise

Choose the most natural expression.
  1. "She's really good at reading the room."
    2. ① 그녀는 눈치가 정말 빨라요. ② 그녀는 눈치가 정말 없어요. ③ 그녀는 눈치를 깼어요. ④ 그녀는 눈치를 먹었어요.
  2. "I gave him a signal but he didn't get it."
    3. ① 눈치를 줬는데 못 받았어요. ② 눈치를 봤는데 못 받았어요. ③ 눈치를 먹었는데 못 받았어요. ④ 눈치를 깼는데 못 받았어요.
  3. "Did you notice I was uncomfortable?"
    4. ① 제가 불편한 거 눈치챘어요? ② 제가 불편한 거 눈치를 줬어요? ③ 제가 불편한 거 눈치가 없었어요? ④ 제가 불편한 거 눈치를 봤어요?
  4. "She read the situation and quietly left."
    5. ① 눈치껏 조용히 나갔어요. ② 눈치를 줬는데 나갔어요. ③ 눈치를 봐서 나갔어요. ④ 눈치채서 나갔어요.
  5. "The atmosphere turned cold after that comment."
    6. ① 그 말 이후로 분위기가 싸늘해졌어요. ② 그 말 이후로 분위기를 깼어요. ③ 그 말 이후로 눈치가 없어졌어요. ④ 그 말 이후로 분위기를 봤어요.
  6. Which expression means 'to kill the vibe'?
    7. ① 분위기를 깨다 ② 분위기를 보다 ③ 분위기를 보내다 ④ 분위기를 채우다
  7. "He always worries about what others think."
    8. ① 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 봐요. ② 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 줘요. ③ 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 깨요. ④ 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 채요.
  8. "No one caught on."
    9. ① 아무도 눈치채지 못했어요. ② 아무도 눈치가 없었어요. ③ 아무도 눈치를 봤어요. ④ 아무도 눈치껏 했어요.
  9. "Act by reading the situation."
    10. ① 눈치껏 행동해요. ② 눈치를 줘서 행동해요. ③ 눈치가 없이 행동해요. ④ 눈치를 봐서 깨요.
  10. What is the key difference between 눈치를 보다 and 눈치를 주다?
    11. ① 보다 = watching others for cues; 주다 = signaling someone else ② 보다 = signaling others; 주다 = watching for cues ③ 보다 = catching on; 주다 = breaking the mood ④ 보다 = acting by reading; 주다 = ruining the vibe
Answers
Answers
  1. ① — 눈치가 빠르다 means quick at reading the room.
  2. ① — 눈치를 주다 is to send a signal; the signal was given but not received.
  3. ① — 눈치채다 is to notice something unspoken.
  4. ① — 눈치껏 means acting correctly by reading the situation.
  5. ① — 분위기가 싸늘해지다 = the atmosphere turns cold.
  6. ① — 분위기를 깨다 = to break/kill the vibe.
  7. ① — 눈치를 보다 = cautiously watching others' reactions.
  8. ① — 눈치채다 = to catch on; 못했어요 = nobody did.
  9. ① — 눈치껏 행동하다 = to act by reading the situation.
  10. ① — 보다 = you watch for cues (inward); 주다 = you send a cue to someone else (outward).

🛠️ Speaking Formula

When describing a 눈치 situation:
  1. Set the scene
    • 분위기가 [adjective]했어요.
  2. Describe the 눈치 action
    • 눈치를 줬는데... / 눈치챘어요 / 눈치껏 행동했어요
  3. State the result
    • 눈치를 못 받았어요. / 자리를 피해 줬어요. / 분위기가 살아났어요.
Full example:
분위기가 좀 싸늘해졌는데, 제가 눈치를 줬는데도 그 사람이 계속 얘기했어요. 결국 팀장님이 직접 말씀하셨어요.

📌 Remember

눈치 is about perception without words:
  • 눈치가 있다 → you see what others don't say
  • 눈치껏 → you act on what you see
  • 눈치를 주다 → you give others the chance to see
In advanced Korean, talking about 눈치 fluently signals that you understand Korean social dynamics — not just the language.

🎯 Practice Hub

50-Question Mastery Drill

Choose the most natural or correct expression for each question.
  1. "She's really good at reading the room."
    2. ① 그녀는 눈치가 정말 빨라요. ② 그녀는 눈치가 정말 없어요. ③ 그녀는 눈치를 깼어요. ④ 그녀는 눈치를 먹었어요.
Answer
Answer
① — 눈치가 빠르다 = quick at reading the room.
  1. "I gave him a signal but he didn't get it."
    2. ① 눈치를 줬는데 못 받았어요. ② 눈치를 봤는데 못 받았어요. ③ 눈치를 먹었는데 못 받았어요. ④ 눈치를 깼는데 못 받았어요.
Answer
Answer
① — 눈치를 주다 = to send a signal; the signal was given but not received.
  1. "Did you notice I was uncomfortable?"
    2. ① 제가 불편한 거 눈치챘어요? ② 제가 불편한 거 눈치를 줬어요? ③ 제가 불편한 거 눈치가 없었어요? ④ 제가 불편한 거 눈치를 봤어요?
Answer
Answer
① — 눈치채다 = to notice something unspoken.
  1. "She read the situation and quietly left."
    2. ① 눈치껏 조용히 나갔어요. ② 눈치를 줬는데 나갔어요. ③ 눈치를 봐서 나갔어요. ④ 눈치채서 나갔어요.
Answer
Answer
① — 눈치껏 = acting correctly by reading the situation.
  1. "The atmosphere turned cold after that comment."
    2. ① 그 말 이후로 분위기가 싸늘해졌어요. ② 그 말 이후로 분위기를 깼어요. ③ 그 말 이후로 눈치가 없어졌어요. ④ 그 말 이후로 분위기를 봤어요.
Answer
Answer
① — 분위기가 싸늘해지다 = the atmosphere turns cold.
  1. Which expression means 'to kill the vibe'?
    2. ① 분위기를 깨다 ② 분위기를 보다 ③ 분위기를 보내다 ④ 분위기를 채우다
Answer
Answer
① — 분위기를 깨다 = to kill the vibe.
  1. "He always worries about what others think."
    2. ① 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 봐요. ② 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 줘요. ③ 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 깨요. ④ 그는 항상 다른 사람 눈치를 채요.
Answer
Answer
① — 눈치를 보다 = cautiously watching others' reactions.
  1. "No one caught on."
    2. ① 아무도 눈치채지 못했어요. ② 아무도 눈치가 없었어요. ③ 아무도 눈치를 봤어요. ④ 아무도 눈치껏 했어요.
Answer
Answer
① — 눈치채다 = to catch on; 못했어요 = nobody did.
  1. "Act by reading the situation."
    2. ① 눈치껏 행동해요. ② 눈치를 줘서 행동해요. ③ 눈치 없이 행동해요. ④ 눈치를 봐서 깨요.
Answer
Answer
① — 눈치껏 행동하다 = to act by reading the situation.
  1. Key difference between 눈치를 보다 and 눈치를 주다?
    2. ① 보다 = watching others for cues; 주다 = signaling someone else ② 보다 = signaling others; 주다 = watching for cues ③ 보다 = catching on; 주다 = breaking the mood ④ 보다 = acting by reading; 주다 = ruining the vibe
Answer
Answer
① — 보다 = you watch for cues (inward); 주다 = you send a cue to someone else (outward).
  1. "The atmosphere became heavy."
    2. ① 분위기가 무거워졌어요. ② 분위기가 싸늘해졌어요. ③ 분위기가 살아났어요. ④ 분위기가 어색해졌어요.
Answer
Answer
① — 무거워지다 = to become heavy; used for a serious, weighty atmosphere.
  1. Which means 'to liven up the mood'?
    2. ① 분위기를 띄우다 ② 분위기를 깨다 ③ 분위기를 지우다 ④ 분위기를 무겁게 하다
Answer
Answer
① — 분위기를 띄우다 = to lift/liven up the mood.
  1. "I couldn't speak because I was watching everyone's reactions."
    2. ① 눈치를 보느라고 말을 못 했어요. ② 눈치를 주느라고 말을 못 했어요. ③ 눈치껏 말을 못 했어요. ④ 눈치채느라고 말을 못 했어요.
Answer
Answer
① — 보느라고 = because (I was) busy watching reactions.
  1. "Don't worry about what others think — just speak honestly."
    2. ① 눈치 보지 말고 솔직하게 말해요. ② 눈치를 주고 솔직하게 말해요. ③ 눈치껏 솔직하게 말해요. ④ 눈치채고 솔직하게 말해요.
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Answer
① — 눈치 보지 말고 = stop worrying about reactions and just speak.
  1. "That person seems to have noticed I was angry."
    2. ① 그 사람이 제가 화난 걸 눈치챈 것 같아요. ② 그 사람이 제가 화난 걸 눈치를 준 것 같아요. ③ 그 사람이 제가 화난 걸 눈치를 본 것 같아요. ④ 그 사람이 제가 화난 걸 눈치껏 한 것 같아요.
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① — 눈치챈 것 같다 = seems like they caught on.
  1. 눈치 없이 굴다 — what does this describe?
    2. ① Someone who acts without reading social cues ② Someone who reads the room very well ③ Someone who sends signals effectively ④ Someone who acts perfectly in any atmosphere
Answer
Answer
① — Acting without awareness of social cues.
  1. "The feeling in the air completely changed."
    2. ① 공기가 달라졌어요. ② 분위기를 깼어요. ③ 눈빛이 달라졌어요. ④ 말투가 달라졌어요.
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Answer
① — 공기가 달라지다 = the feeling in the air changes (vivid, informal).
  1. In which situation would you say 눈치가 있다?
    2. ① Your friend quietly steps out when they sense you need privacy ② Your coworker keeps talking after the meeting clearly ended ③ Someone interrupts a serious moment with a joke ④ A guest stays very late despite multiple hints to leave
Answer
Answer
① — Stepping away without being asked = good 눈치.
  1. "I gave the signal with my eyes."
    2. ① 눈빛으로 눈치를 줬어요. ② 눈빛으로 눈치를 봤어요. ③ 눈빛으로 눈치를 깼어요. ④ 눈빛으로 눈치를 채었어요.
Answer
Answer
① — 눈빛으로 눈치를 주다 = to signal with the eyes.
  1. Which describes someone 'slow at reading the room'?
    2. ① 눈치가 느린 편이에요. ② 눈치가 없는 편이에요. ③ 눈치가 빠른 편이에요. ④ 눈치가 있는 편이에요.
Answer
Answer
① — 눈치가 느린 편 = tends to be slow at reading the room.
  1. "They would have known without being told."
    2. ① 말 안 해도 눈치껏 알았을 거예요. ② 말 안 해도 눈치를 줬을 거예요. ③ 말 안 해도 눈치를 봤을 거예요. ④ 말 안 해도 눈치를 깼을 거예요.
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① — 눈치껏 알다 = knowing by reading the situation.
  1. "If they had 눈치, they wouldn't have said that."
    2. ① 눈치가 있었으면 그 말 안 했을 거예요. ② 눈치를 줬으면 그 말 안 했을 거예요. ③ 눈치를 봤으면 그 말 안 했을 거예요. ④ 눈치를 깼으면 그 말 안 했을 거예요.
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① — Conditional: if they had 눈치, the outcome would have been different.
  1. Which is the best translation of 눈치껏?
    2. ① by reading the situation ② by breaking the mood ③ by giving a signal ④ by noticing something physical
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① — 눈치껏 = by reading the situation, without being told.
  1. "The atmosphere became awkward."
    2. ① 분위기가 어색해졌어요. ② 분위기가 무거워졌어요. ③ 분위기가 싸늘해졌어요. ④ 분위기가 깨졌어요.
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① — 어색해지다 = to become awkward.
  1. "That one comment killed the vibe."
    2. ① 그 말 한 마디가 분위기를 깼어요. ② 그 말 한 마디가 분위기를 띄웠어요. ③ 그 말 한 마디가 눈치를 줬어요. ④ 그 말 한 마디가 분위기를 봤어요.
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① — 분위기를 깨다 = to break/kill the vibe.
  1. What does 분위기 파악하다 mean?
    2. ① To grasp and read the atmosphere ② To break the atmosphere ③ To liven up the atmosphere ④ To ignore the atmosphere
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① — 파악하다 = to grasp, understand, read.
  1. "It seemed like they didn't pick up on the signal."
    2. ① 눈치를 못 받은 것 같아요. ② 눈치를 못 준 것 같아요. ③ 눈치를 못 띄운 것 같아요. ④ 눈치를 못 본 것 같아요.
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① — 눈치를 못 받다 = didn't receive the signal that was sent.
  1. In casual modern Korean, what is often used similarly to 눈치가 있다?
    2. ① 센스 있다 ② 분위기 있다 ③ 표정 있다 ④ 눈빛 있다
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① — 센스 있다 is used colloquially in place of 눈치가 있다.
  1. Which is NOT a natural way to describe someone with good 눈치?
    2. ① 눈치가 없어요 ② 눈치가 빨라요 ③ 센스가 있어요 ④ 눈치가 있어요
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① — 눈치가 없다 = the opposite of good 눈치.
  1. "I sensed that they wanted to wrap things up."
    2. ① 그분이 마무리하고 싶다는 걸 눈치챘어요. ② 그분이 마무리하고 싶다는 걸 눈치를 줬어요. ③ 그분이 마무리하고 싶다는 걸 눈치를 봤어요. ④ 그분이 마무리하고 싶다는 걸 눈치껏 했어요.
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① — 눈치채다 = sensing what someone wants without being told.
  1. What does 눈빛 refer to in a 눈치 context?
    2. ① The look in someone's eyes, used to convey silent signals ② The brightness of the lighting in a room ③ Eye contact as a polite greeting ④ A special type of eye exercise
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① — 눈빛 = the look in one's eyes; a key tool for giving 눈치.
  1. "Act appropriately to the mood."
    2. ① 분위기에 맞게 행동하다 ② 분위기를 깨다 ③ 눈치를 보다 ④ 눈치껏 신호를 보내다
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① — 분위기에 맞게 행동하다 = acting appropriately to the mood.
  1. Which sentence uses 눈치를 주다 correctly?
    2. ① 회의가 끝났다고 눈치를 줬는데 아직도 앉아 있어요. ② 눈치를 줘서 기분이 좋아졌어요. ③ 눈치를 줬는데 분위기가 살았어요. ④ 눈치를 줬는데 맞아요.
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① — Signaling that the meeting is over is a classic 눈치를 주다 scenario.
  1. "I was watching reactions before saying anything."
    2. ① 뭔가 말하기 전에 눈치를 봤어요. ② 뭔가 말하기 전에 눈치를 줬어요. ③ 뭔가 말하기 전에 눈치를 깼어요. ④ 뭔가 말하기 전에 눈치껏 했어요.
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① — 눈치를 보다 = watching and gauging reactions before acting.
  1. What does 말투 refer to in a 눈치 context?
    2. ① The way someone speaks or their tone ② A person's facial expression ③ The look in someone's eyes ④ The overall mood of the room
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① — 말투 = the way someone speaks, their tone.
  1. "His tone of voice was different than usual."
    2. ① 말투가 평소와 달랐어요. ② 눈치가 평소와 달랐어요. ③ 분위기가 평소와 달랐어요. ④ 눈빛이 평소와 달랐어요.
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① — 말투가 달랐어요 = the way of speaking was different.
  1. "I could feel it from her expression and the look in her eyes."
    2. ① 표정이랑 눈빛에서 느껴졌어요. ② 말투랑 공기에서 느껴졌어요. ③ 분위기랑 센스에서 느껴졌어요. ④ 눈치랑 표정에서 느껴졌어요.
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① — 표정이랑 눈빛 = expression and eyes are the key cues.
  1. Which most accurately describes 눈치 없이 굴다?
    2. ① Acting without reading social and emotional cues ② Acting cautiously while gauging others ③ Signaling someone nonverbally ④ Reading the atmosphere with precision
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① — Acting without reading the room.
  1. "The boss's expression turned cold, but he didn't even notice."
    2. ① 팀장님 표정이 싸늘해졌는데 몰랐어요. ② 팀장님 표정이 어색해졌는데 눈치를 줬어요. ③ 팀장님 표정이 무거워졌는데 눈치껏 했어요. ④ 팀장님 표정이 달라졌는데 분위기를 깼어요.
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① — The natural combination: cold expression + no one noticed.
  1. "I stepped away because I sensed the two of them had something to talk about."
    2. ① 두 분이 할 말이 있는 것 같아서 눈치껏 나왔어요. ② 두 분이 할 말이 있는 것 같아서 눈치를 줬어요. ③ 두 분이 할 말이 있는 것 같아서 눈치를 봤어요. ④ 두 분이 할 말이 있는 것 같아서 눈치채지 못했어요.
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① — 눈치껏 나오다 = leaving tactfully by reading the situation.
  1. What nuance does 눈치를 보다 most often imply?
    2. ① Caution or hesitation about how others will react ② Confidence when reading the room ③ Sending clear nonverbal signals ④ Breaking social norms unintentionally
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① — 눈치를 보다 often implies hesitation or anxiety.
  1. Which is NOT a natural 분위기 expression?
    2. ① 분위기를 먹다 ② 분위기를 깨다 ③ 분위기를 띄우다 ④ 분위기가 싸늘해지다
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① — 분위기를 먹다 is not a real expression.
  1. "I sensed it from the atmosphere of the room."
    2. ① 분위기에서 느껴졌어요. ② 눈치에서 느껴졌어요. ③ 눈빛에서만 느껴졌어요. ④ 말투에서만 느껴졌어요.
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① — 분위기에서 느껴지다 = felt from the overall atmosphere.
  1. Most natural response to: "왜 그 자리 피해 줬어요?"
    2. ① 분위기 보고 눈치껏 나왔어요. ② 눈치를 줘서 나왔어요. ③ 분위기를 깨서 나왔어요. ④ 눈치가 없어서 나왔어요.
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① — 눈치껏 나오다 = leaving by reading the vibe; the most natural answer.
  1. What does 눈치채다 specifically refer to?
    2. ① Catching on to an unspoken emotional or social cue ② Sending a nonverbal signal to someone ③ Breaking social norms without realizing ④ Acting correctly by reading the situation
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① — 눈치채다 = catching on to something unspoken.
  1. "I hinted by looking at my watch."
    2. ① 시계를 보면서 눈치를 줬어요. ② 시계를 보면서 눈치를 봤어요. ③ 시계를 보면서 눈치를 깼어요. ④ 시계를 보면서 눈치가 없었어요.
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① — 눈치를 주다 = sending a hint; the watch is the nonverbal cue.
  1. Best translation of 분위기 파악을 못 하다?
    2. ① Failing to read the atmosphere ② Killing the vibe ③ Acting appropriately to the mood ④ Sending a signal without words
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① — 파악을 못 하다 = failing to grasp/read.
  1. Your coworker keeps making jokes even after the team leader visibly tenses up. How do you describe them?
    2. ① 눈치가 없어요. ② 눈치가 빨라요. ③ 눈치껏 행동했어요. ④ 분위기를 잘 파악했어요.
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① — 눈치가 없다 = lacking social awareness.
  1. "The feeling in the room completely changed after that."
    2. ① 그 이후로 공기가 완전히 달라졌어요. ② 그 이후로 분위기를 깼어요. ③ 그 이후로 눈치를 봤어요. ④ 그 이후로 분위기를 살렸어요.
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① — 공기가 달라지다 = the feeling shifted completely.
  1. Which best describes a person with excellent 눈치?
    2. ① 말 안 해도 상황을 파악하고 적절하게 행동하는 사람 ② 항상 솔직하게 자기 의견을 말하는 사람 ③ 다른 사람에게 눈치를 주는 사람 ④ 분위기를 자주 깨는 사람
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① — Good 눈치 = understanding and acting appropriately without being told.